"Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward."

Dear Family,

We had a great week!!!! A LOT went on. We stayed pretty busy throughout the whole week. 

We taught a lot of Restoration lessons! It was great! We had 11 new investigators and we have started to teach 2 new families :) 

One of the families we are teaching is really accepting! One problem. The dad of the family is addicted to CRACK. We taught the first lesson with him drugged up. It was an interesting experience because his week is SUCH A GOOD INVESTIGATOR. She had so many good questions, and she is so sincere in her desire to know. She felt the spirit so strongly. The dad wants to stop he told us that he did. He recognizes that its destroying his life... It was really sad to see what he was giving up, and to see the pain that he caused in the life of Sandra, his wife. I know it will be HARD, but I know that he will be able to!!!! 

Saturday was the baptism of Megara!!!! It was SO SWEET. I am so happy for her. She had been waiting for this day for so long, and her mom who isn´t a member went and really liked it as well. She may still be saying that she is not interested, but I KNOW that Meggy is going to help her whole family through her example. 

We taught Italo again this week and he accepted the invitation to be baptized :) He is SOOOOOOOO AWESOME. He works so hard in life, and he really just wants to know peace and wants to know how he can get rid of the guilt that he feels. He read the chapter we left him in the Book of Mormon 2 times, and he said that he felt good when he prayed!!!! 

Happy Valentine´s day this week to everyone!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Desi 

Do You Think God Puts Good Things in Our Path? I Do!!!!

Dear Family this week was a HOTTT one. We were told that this summer has been the hottest ever recorded here in São Paulo.

This week we WORKED hard. A lot of walking in the hot sun, but it wasn´t all in vain. We did a lot of contacts, and now have a lot of not only new but also potential investigators. 

Next Saturday is the baptism of Mégara. She is so awesome, and excited for her baptism. I made her little invitations. She has been waiting for soo long for this. It´s going to be a really special day for her.  I picked a sheep on her invite because she is entering into the flock of Jesus Christ :) 

This week we also had interviews with President Ferrin. It was a GREAT interview. He showed us two pennies a bronze penny and a steel penny, and asked us which coin we would want to be. I of course picked the steel penny because I had never seen a steel penny before and I thought I would want to be the different one. But then he told us that steel rusts a lot faster and other facts about steel that made me want to change my answer. Afterwards he showed us a silver coin and then a gold coin... A pure gold coin... It was SOOO pretty. By this point I definitely had changed my mind. He told us that the truth is that there is very little pure gold in the world. And that we are like the gold coins. There may not be a very high percentage of members in the world and an even smaller percentage of missionaries, but we are UNIQUE and of GREAT WORTH. We need to show the world that our message is worth more than gold :) I have learned so much from President Ferrin, I hope that I can be a light in this world and help many people enjoy the gold that I have (THE GOSPEL :) )

Sunday we had a VERY interesting experience.  We were walking to church and this random guy came up to us and asked if he could ask a question. I of course answered Sure... He proceeded to ask ``Do you think God puts good things in our Path?`` I answered yes.... He then started talking anddddd it didn´t take long to realize that he was a little drunk. He told us that a girl that he had met the night before sent him a message saying that he needed to let Jesus enter into his heart. So what did he do? He walked into the nearest church... A Igreja Universal... The Universal Church... He stayed there for about 5 minutes got uncomfortable and left. That's when he saw us. We invited him to go to church and he did. And he stayed all 3 hours and LOVED it... and I think the alcohol had even worn off by the end... I´m hoping we can help change his life and his families life!!!!! I know that Heavenly Father loves him regardless of his poor choices. I hope that he is willing to give up worldly things and search for the kingdom of God. 

We also found 2 new investigators. Rosangela and Italo. Mother and Son. They are just two really nice people. And Italo had a lot of great questions. After we taught the Restoration he asked us how he could know if Joseph Smith was a real prophet or a False prophet and we explained that he could read the book of Mormon and pray!!!! And he told us that he is looking for PEACE in his life. We promised him that he would find peace through the BOOK OF MORMON and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know the book of Mormon is true and if Italo really reads it he will know for himself as well!!!!!!!! 

I know that God puts good things in our Path!!!!!! He did after all put all of you in my path :) We just need to look for the good things and make sure to share them!!!!!!!

La Cucaracha

Summer is in full bloom here in São Paulo...

This week was CRAZY!!!!! 

I think I got a sunburn 6 of the 7 days this week...

On New Year´s there were SOOOO many fireworks right outside of or window... and while trying to sleep a firework landed on our house... It was pretty intense.. I thought that I was in a war zone. I think Brazil should think about revising their laws about firework use. 

Cockroaches are just having the time of their life... Funny story. We were teaching José this week and he had bug bombed his work office about 2 hours before we got there and there were COCKROACHES EVERYWHERE... I would say I saw at least 100. My companion killed about 20 while we were teaching... Let´s just say it was a hard lesson to get through... and that I may or may not have screamed during the first vision because of a cockroach on my foot.... José is the cutest old man I have ever met in my life.. He just kept laughing and killing them before they got to me.. 

Me and Sister Peart worked HARD this week and though we may have not seen immediate success we are starting to up our pool of investigators :) 

Tomorrow we are going to the Temple as a mission and I am SUPER excited. Me and Sister Peart read a talk by Elder Holland about missionaries and covenants and I loved this quote maybe it will help you Franny and Michael.

It is when an entire mission is united by the strength of every missionary’s integrity, every 
 missionary’s personal covenant keeping,that we move mountains. When there is such unity  
and power, an endowment from heaven, coming to every individual in the mission, nothing can
 “stop the work from progressing.” It is in this way that the“truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, 
 and independent.”

Congratulations Annika and Keith.. I would love to see some pictures ASAP!!!!! Now that Keith is a part of the family someone should tell me his email so I can add him to the list... 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Touched by the Spirit

This week I feel like I have learned a little bit about what it truly means to bear one anothers burdens. This week we started teaching a woman named Fernanda. She is passing through a really hard time because she is currently living with the father of her two sons. Who is unfortunately an alcoholic. He can´t even work because he is so addicted to drinking. He is literally drinking his life away. As we have gotten to know her and have talken to her, I can honestly say that we have been bearing her burdens. I feel SO MUCH sadness for her, but I also feel so much HOPE for her. Unfortunately she can not work because she has a little baby of 1 month old and has to wait until he is 4 months old to stop breast feeding him. But she said that everytime she prays and thinks about the new years something fills her with happiness and hope. I don´t know exactly how to help her overcome these problems, but I am confident that Heavenly Father does and I hope to be able to continue to bear her burdens and help make them lighter. 

We also taught Josè and he is SOOOO ELECT!!!!! We taught him the restoration and he got really emotional and cried. It was the most tender moment I think I have ever had in my life. This cute little old man so willing to accept the teachings of Christ in his life. I thought about how much Heavenly Father must truly love him. We marked his baptism for the 12th of January. 

I´m so excited for this new year. It is going to be SOOOO Great. I know it. I am a firm believer of New Year´s Goals, so I hope that everyone writes out 14 goals for the year of 2014 and puts them in a visible place so that everyday you can remember and try your hardest to reach them.  

LOVE YOU ALL!!! HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! THANKS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT AND LOVE :) 

Desi 

Christmas Week

A lot happened this week!!!!

Tuesday we had our mission Christmas conference. It was great to see all of my missionary friends that I have made over this last year. It also made me really reflect on my own testimony of Jesus Christ. I KNOW that he was born to save US!!!!

We worked well the rest of the week. 

We had a REALLY AWESOME experience this week!!! We were headed to an appointment at an investigators house that we had never been to before. I looked on the map and memorized the route, but as we were heading there I decided to turn on a street that wasn´t on the route. I didn´t know know what the street was but I was just like let´s turn here. As we were walking down the street we saw two men standing outside of a house. Two men that we had Never seen before in our lives. When of them shouted ``OI SISTERES`` We were like ummmm hiiii???? And he started going off about how we were sent from God.... We were like are you a member? And he just kept going off about miracles.... Turns out that he is a member that lives in a different city that was just visiting his friend for the day. A friend who isn't a member. His friend is going through a rough time and earlier in the day he told him that he should let the missionaries come by and talk to And we just happened to show up when the member was leaving. We really were sent by GOD!!!!! I´m super stoked to start teaching José.. .He seems really sincere and actually interested. Thanks to the awesome missionary work that his friend did. I know that when we are worthy we will be led by the promptings of the Holy Ghost!!!!!! 

This week we PRAYED so much to be able to find new investigators, and we actually found a lot of new people to teach. Most of which are not married, but living together. Hoping that the New Year brings a lot of weddings and happy newlyweds... Maybe Annika's wedding will start the trend :) 

Excited to talk to everyone on Christmas... We get an hour and a half to talk... What time should I get on?!?!?!?!?! 

LOVE YOU ALL 

Desi

We should even give thanks for our afflictions because they turn our hearts to God and give us opportunities to prepare for what God would have us become. - Dallin H. Oaks

This week was a TOUGH one!!!

Tuesday I got a knarly farmers burn. 

Wednesday I went to the doctor because I haven´t been able to sleep because I cough so much that I start to vomit at night, but then I didn´t have money to buy the prescripition so I felt like I wasted precious work time :( I´m allergic to all of the pollution that they have here in São Paulo :( And I still have random allergic reactions 

Thursday was thanksgiving. No one here even knows what Thanksgiving is, and we didn´t have money to really celebrate. We scraped some personal money together and bought a lime pie after we worked and ate it at night. 

Friday was the day of rejection. We got rejected by every single person we talked to on the street, and to make matters worse this great family we started teaching that I had really gotten my hopes with told us not to come back. and worst was that they refused to give me a specific reason. Just that they just weren´t really interested right now. That was the worst. I tried to be brave and tell them what they were missing out, but it didn´t seem to have much effect. Afterwards, I cried so hard that I couldn´t work for like an hour!!!!

Today I got robbed... Again.... luckily they only stole the cell phone and my bus pass. 

The point of these hardships isn´t to complain... just to say that Heavenly Father gives us afflictions because he wants us to learn and improve. I think he wanted me to learn to be grateful no matter what happens!!! It made me really evaluate the things I am grateful for. I´m grateful that I have the gospel in my life, and I´m grateful for all of the people that I have had the opportunity to teach. I feel like I have LEARNED so much from each and every one of them. Today I got to spend my pday with a recent convert from Vila Prudente. At the end she started crying when I left.... and just told me Sister Bruno... Não esqueça perseverar até o fim... Sister Bruno, Don´t forget, Endure to the End... It made me happy to see that she remembered what we had taught and that she was HELPING me!!!!! 

Going to continue enduring to the end... and taking advantage for every day that I have here on the mission

Sister Bruno 

PS- Thanks for everyones help with my byu apps!!!!!! 

"The Lord’s way is not to sit at the side of the stream and wait for the water to pass before we cross. It is to come together, roll up our sleeves, go to work, and build a bridge or a boat to cross the waters of our challenges."

I don´t have a lot of time to write this week because I have been working on my college essays, but this was a great week!!!!

On Friday we had a specialized training with President Ferrin and the assistants. I really enjoyed the training and it gave me motivation to work harder than I have ever worked before!!! When we left I started talking to like EVERYONE in sight. It was a really rewarding day. 

On Sunday was the baptism of Gabriel. He was so HAPPY afterwards :) It has been super awesome to see the change that he has made in his life. Next step... Endure to the End 

We are currently increasing the number of people that we teach, and had a good number of investigators at church so that was really rewarding to see. I hope that this week is a good week for all of you!!!!!!!!!!